Meeting Reflections
The 2025 AGM & Ukuleles
For the 2025 AGM on 21st
October, we were back at Danish Camp where we received the normal warm welcome
from Roy and Gail Lee. The business part
of the evening was quickly finished: the officers and committee members were
returned with the exception of Alan Powell, who after sterling work has resigned
from the Committee, but with the welcome addition of Caroline Bullock. We were then provided with refreshments and,
of course, the Bar was also open.
Phil Dover then introduced
Nick Cullum who gave us an introduction to the
ukulele. Now, if like me, you thought
that a ukulele was a ukulele, Nick was there to set us right. He had brought with him a collection of
instruments, ranging from the very small (the soprano) with the highest note,
through the soprano, the tenor, the baritone and the bass – all increasing in
size and, of course, not forgetting the banjo ukulele’, as played by George
Formby.
Nick talked
about each instrument in turn and gave us a demonstration of the different
sound of each, along with a song which suited each one. We had renderings of amongst others ‘The
Ladies of the Harem of the Court of King Caractacus’,
the George Formby favourite ‘Leaning on a Lamppost’, Joe Brown’s ‘I’ll see you
in my Dreams’ and Tom Lehrer’s ‘Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’. Given the average age of the members, most of
us were able to sing along!
We would like
to thank Roy and Gail for their hospitality and the cakes and Nick Cullum for entertaining us all so well.
Sue Harland